SASKATOON -- A Saskatoon family has not left the bedside of Oakley Fidler, a one-year-old diagnosed with a rare brain disease.
On Feb. 12, Oakley collapsed at home according to his grandmother Lana Fidler, who spoke to CTV News in the hospital parking lot of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital on Sunday.
“He’s such a good kid, he’s just a baby, he’s just walking around and starting to talk and he loves ‘Baby Shark,’” Lana Filder said. “He’s just a lovable little kid.”
According to the boy’s father Preston Fidler, doctors diagnosed Oakley with acute leukoencephalopathy, a rare condition where the white matter of the brain is infected. On Facebook Preston said doctors don’t see this condition in Canada often, and that this disease is found more often in foreign countries, Preston wrote.
Lana said Oakley’s parents have not left the hospital since their son was admitted, and they are still left with many unanswered questions about what’s going on with him.
“They are still trying to figure out what this is and how to treat it and it could be a long battle for him,” Fidler said.
On Sunday Filder, and other family members gathered at the JPCH parking lot, holding up signs, showing support and love for Oakley. Fidler said they also brought the parents home-cooked meals. Fidler said because of restrictions at JCPH, only Oakley’s parents can be there with him.
“We wanted to do something just to show our love and support,” Fidler said. “You can only be on the phone so many times and we all want to be here, especially me because I’m his grandma, I can’t be here for my son and for Oakley so it’s hard.”
Oakley’s great aunt has set up a GoFundMe page to help the family with any expenses as a result of this hospitalization.
